Va. Gov.: Nats, Metro ‘regional issue'; Goode no good for GOP

WASHINGTON – Finding the money to keep Metro open for Nationals postseason games is a regional issue, says the governor of Virginia, who has instructed his delegate to the transit governing board to find a solution.

McDonnell has told James Dyke, Virginia’s representative on the Metro Board, to “engage in discussions” for funding Metro’s extended hours. The Nationals postseason begins in three weeks.

“We don’t want everyone stranded,” says McDonnell. “We do want to try every way possible to make sure…that service is available.”

“Maybe if everyone contributes a little bit, we’ll be able to get this done.”

In other transportation news, the governor says the HOT lanes will be completed within the “next couple months.”

“I’m hoping no later than November,” he says.

As the presidential campaign gets into full swing, McDonnell also reminded Virginia voters that new regulations require they bring some sort of identification to their polling stations. This does not have to be a photo ID, he says. A copy of an electrical bill with a current name and address, for example, would also work. Learn more at the Virginia State Board of Elections.

Third-party candidate Virgil Goode, a former Republican U.S. congressman running on the Constitution Party ticket, is not a threat to Romney’s conservative support, McDonnell says. He added that anyone who does not want President Barack Obama to win reelection should vote for Romney.

“If people want to see Obama replaced, they really need to vote for Mitt Romney, or they’re wasting their vote,” he says.

Virginia is not an early voting state. We have 14 statutory reasons where absentee ballot voting is permitted, such as traveling outside the country, jury duty or working more than 11 hours a day.

The military is probably the biggest group that works that way.

We passed a new law that requires you to bring an ID to the polls. That is not necessarily a photo ID. We expanded the number of pieces of identification, such as an electricity bill or a government ID.

10:43 a.m., speaking about Constitution Party presidential candidate Virgil Goode, and how might affect the November election:

This will not affect Mitt Romney at all. He switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party before running for U.S. Congress because he thought they had left him.

He’s not going to win.

“If people want to see Obama replaced, they really need to vote for Mitt Romney, or they’re wasting their vote.”

“I see a lot of enthusiasm I didn’t see four years ago for our team.” I think that’s going to help us.

10:37 a.m., speaking about the abortion dialogue in Republican campaigns:

I disagree with the contention that abortion, contraception or Mitt Romney’s tax returns are at “the forefront” of the election. The forefront should be the “failed policies” of President Obama.

Republicans are pro-life. The Democrats are the pro-choice party. This is the way it’s been for a while.

All we did was affirm we are the party that will protect innocent human life.

10:34 a.m., speaking about abortion clinic building regulations to bring them closer to hospital standards:

General Assembly passed a law in 2007 saying that abortion clinics needed to be regulated by new building standards. Emergency legislation denied any “grandfathering” for existing clinics from the new regulation. A close vote in the assembly overturned that, and the most recent action maintained the original denial of grandfathering.

I certainly don’t agree with the contention that this will put every abortion clinic out of business.